Twisting The Tale
by Talisa-chan
Summary: She knew the path she followed would only lead to death and destruction, but she couldn't help continuing down. In the end, the outcome would be decided by a battle of wits and emotions. A battle she was losing… or was she? A tale of friendship, love, despair, and a displaced girl desperately trying to find her place in an unfamiliar yet familiar world.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in any way. Everything belongs to the amazing J. K. Rowling. I'm just having fun, really.**

 **A/N: So... my first fanfiction. Well, the first I deemed good enough for posting anyway, there are others that probably won't ever see the light of the day- but I really wanted to try myself at creating a believable OC for a long time now. I hope I managed. So, enough from my side, enjoy!**

 **Chapter 1**

She was never one to believe in Fate. While Fate gives purpose, an explanation to seemingly pointless events, it also implies that one's actions are predetermined. For how can even a single fated event happen without influencing the people involved? It shifts responsibilities, distorts the causality between actions and consequences, making apparent choices inevitable in the face of a bigger picture.

The belief in Fate cripples, excusing perpetrators and keeping victims inactive. A fated crime is still a crime; fated misery feels no better than misery.

So it isn't as much _not_ believing in Fate as it is not believing in the _belief_ in Fate.

Maybe it was Fate she was reborn where she was, with the knowledge she kept, maybe it wasn't. It did not matter.

If it was Fate, she would act accordingly whether she tried to or not.

* * *

She couldn't pinpoint the exact moment she regained consciousness. It was a blur of waking and sleeping, new impressions and old memories, almost self-awareness and mindless drifting. Everything felt strangely natural, instinctual.

At first, she didn't think of herself as an adult in an infant's body. She felt, looked and was treated like an infant, so why shouldn't she be one? It wasn't like she could keep herself from crying when she was lonely or hungry, nor had she any desire to.

It felt nice being doted on, being the center of attention.

Though growing older, she realized those were merely excuses. Simply the fact that she was _thinking_ about how to act, being able _not_ to terrorize her well-meaning parents triggered her guilty conscience.

So she swallowed her irrational desire to cling to her mother when she was given to an elderly woman for daycare the first time. She decided against screaming for her parents when her sister stole her favorite stuffed animal… it was a strange looking, ugly birdlike beast she couldn't identify, one of the many strange things in her new home. She was a little angel, all curly blond hair and curious blue eyes, watching the world with silent fascination and seemingly childish naivety.

She wasn't above using her innocent impression to gain acceptance and leniency.

It wasn't all deliberate calculation though, at least the fascination was quite real. She was surrounded by… unusual occurrences. The morning she managed to get out of her crib by herself the first time -she didn't remember how, but she desperately tried and somehow managed- she realized she couldn't find a light switch. Further inspection revealed a lack of light bulbs, and she hadn't noticed a single wire in the entire house.

The same evening, she watched her mother flick something long and thin she kept in her pocket before the lights went out. A remote control?

When a person stepped out of the fireplace a few days later -it seemed to be her second birthday, considering the gigantic cake with pink icing and two candles her mother put in front of her with a beaming smile- she realized she must have been deliberately overlooking things.

The magic was everywhere.

The dishes cleaned themselves, her rubber ball changed color every few minutes, her clothes fit her for months no matter how fast she grew. Her doll spoke and answered, almost as if she was alive, and when her parents' chess pieces started screaming at each other every last doubt was gone.

In retrospect it was obvious, but in reality it took her years to connect the signs. Magic, wizards wearing robes, yearly celebrations on Halloween. Even her name, Alice Turpin.

Alice received the final piece of information on her seventh birthday, the 31st of August 1988. Smiling, laughing happily with her older sister Lisa about the singing rubber duck she had received from her uncle, she turned to her next present. It was neatly wrapped in green paper with colorful butterflies. Judging by the way her sister's eyes lit up when she shifted her attention towards it, she didn't have to guess whom it was from.

"Oh, I know you will love it!" Her blue eyes were practically glowing as Lisa spoke, burning with admiration. Oblivious to her sister's puzzled expression- Alice had rarely seen Lisa so passionate about anything- she continued gushing, the adults watching them with amusement.

"My friend Susan showed me the books, they're so exciting! Especially because they really happened, can you believe it? And did you know that he will be in my year? Maybe we'll be best friends and he'll tell me about all of his adventures…" Growing more and more confused the longer Lisa chattered on, Alice carefully started removing the wrapping paper, mindful of the butterflies. Her heart almost stopped.

The cover showed a black haired child on a giant red dragon, pointing a sparkling sword victoriously ahead. _Harry Potter and the Salvation of the Unicorns._

She really should have seen it coming.

She started reading the same evening, contempt for the author growing with every page she turned. It was ridiculous. How could anyone believe that an eight-year-old child tamed a dragon to defeat an evil coven of vampires who wanted to slaughter a family of unicorns? Even if she hadn't known that Harry Potter lived under his relatives' questionable care in Little Whinging, she would have been more than skeptical.

She kept her silence anyway.

* * *

Was there a reason she knew what was to come? She had doubted her knowledge for years, told herself that there was no proof anything would happen the way she remembered, not in the tiny part of the wizarding world that was her childhood. Apart from her sister, Susan and Hannah, she didn't meet anyone she recognized until her first visit to Diagon Alley. Still, even the friendly Tom in the Leaky Cauldron or Fortescue's amazing ice cream weren't enough to draw her out of her desperate denial. Ollivanders almost made her want to hide under a pillow and never show herself again.

The final straw was a letter she received from her sister two days after Halloween. Though almost two years apart, Lisa was only a year ahead in Hogwarts due to her birthday in September. Ten-year-old Alice anxiously took the parchment from Sir Hoot, the former family owl, now her sister's companion.

She was already hiding in her room before the slowly descending letter hit the floor.

* * *

One would think she would be overjoyed, a chance to live her favorite book. Meet the characters, feel the magic, even influence the plot. But all she felt was blank fear. With the troll, there was no room for doubts whether or not Voldemort was alive, it was only a matter of years before the war began. There wasn't any mention of her family, would they survive? They could be part of the countless names of victims, glossed over in favor of recounting the Golden Trio's heroic deeds.

Her first thought was running away. She was a little girl, no hero. As far as she knew, nobody in her family contributed anything important during the war. The Turpins were a middle class pureblood family, known only for their excellent lawyers and neutrality in confrontations.

But she knew her parents would never move. They had grown up in Britain, had British connections and British friends. As far as they knew, they had no reason to leave and nobody would believe Alice even if she were to share her fears.

She felt trapped for weeks. She wanted to rush to Hogwarts and hide her sister away, away from the monster she knew was her teacher. Sweet, clueless Lisa. Her parents assured her day after day that she didn't have to worry, that the troll was a onetime incident and Lisa was safe. They were clueless as well, like everyone else.

* * *

By the time Lisa visited for Christmas Alice had managed to banish any worries to the deepest corner of her mind. The sisters carelessly chased chocolate frogs through the kitchens and Lisa proudly demonstrated her charms project, a beautiful glass orb with an animated goldfish inside, while her parents congratulated her on her impressive school work.

It was blissful happiness, sitting between her parents in the living room with her Uncle telling outrageous stories about Hogwarts. Her sister listened with shining eyes, and for the first time in two months, Alice truly looked forward to her time at Hogwarts.

* * *

"Ohh damn cat, couldn't you have chosen a more peaceful pet?"

"Lisa have you seen my new quill?"

"I don't care where your shiny new present is, your stupid cat just almost ate my potions homework!"

"Sir Meow would never…"

"Hurry up children, the train won't wait for you!"

It was September first again, finally time for Alice to take the trip to Hogwarts for her first year. Despite herself, she was nervous. Would somebody find out, see her for what she was, what she knew? She had never made any noble vow not to use her memories, her inactivity merely stemming from indecisiveness and the numb fear of being declared delusional. So here she stood, hiding her secret anxiety behind the everyday worry of leaving home for an unknown location.

Lisa and Alice arrived in front of the door at the same time, both carrying heavy trunks, Lisa glaring at the black cat her sister was carrying. Their mother seemed far too preoccupied to notice the impending argument, or Alice's poorly hidden dread.

"There you are," she said absently, meanwhile casting a feather-light charm on her daughters' trunks. "Be glad we decided to go by apparition, we'd never arrive on time otherwise."

The platform was already crowded by the time they finally arrived. Lisa immediately hugged her parents good-bye before quickly disappearing to find her friends, a clear sign for Alice to stay away if she'd ever seen one. Alice shook her head. She had never been the clingy type, so there was little chance she would start now. She turned to say her own farewells, only to see unshed tears shimmering in her mother's eyes, her father standing stoically beside her. Suddenly she was engulfed in a crushing hug.

"My little girl, leaving me all alone!" Alice smiled as she wrapped her arms around her mother. She really loved her family.

* * *

When Alice finally boarded the train, there weren't any empty compartments left. She briefly considered looking for Lisa despite the earlier dismissal but figured she shouldn't play the annoying little sister before they even arrived at Hogwarts. She passed several gatherings of older students, until she finally found a compartment with three other first years she felt comfortable enough to join.

They were deep in conversation as she entered. She groaned the moment she realized they were discussing the sorting ceremony.

"I know I'll be in Slytherin. My family has been sorted there for generations!" Alice examined the boasting boy. He had black hair, styled in a way that screamed early rising for careful grooming. Together with his refined pureblooded features and snobby expression she was instantly convinced of his colossal ego.

Greeting the group, she let herself fall next to a shyly smiling girl who didn't look too eager to participate in the argument. She didn't have to. The first-year across from her seemed to practically burst with excitement and immediately started chattering.

"I really hope I'll be sorted in Gryffindor!" he grinned, hopping up and down on his seat. "That would be so cool! I mean, I only found out about magic a few months ago and I read about Harry Potter and he seems totally awesome. Is it true that he singlehandedly defeated a troll in his first year? He must be the coolest wizard ever!"

The black haired boy looked at him disdainfully. Uh Oh. "And you are?"

"I'm sorry, I'm Colin Creevey. Nice to meet you." The oblivious first year hopefully offered his hand, looking up in heartbreaking sincerity. It was no use though. The arrogant ponce cast it one disgusted glance before abruptly standing up, sneering.

"I wouldn't have chosen this compartment, if I had known there was mudblood filth in here." With that, he spun around and left the compartment.

Colin looked puzzled. "What was he talking about?"

Alice smiled uncomfortably. "He was just being rude." Sighing, she looked out of the window, watching the scenery rush by. The wonderful world of Harry Potter.

* * *

"Addison, Juliet!" Professor McGonagall's voice rang through the great hall, and a blonde witch with a stoic expression walked towards the Sorting Hat.

"RAVENCLAW!"

Alice saw her sister sitting among the applauding students and smiled. It would be nice to be in the same house as Lisa, she really missed their closeness.

Her gaze wandered towards her fellow first years. She recognized a blond haired girl with large eyes and a dreamy expression as Luna Lovegood and the only redhead as Ginny Weasley. Most of the others were unfamiliar.

Watching Colin skip towards the Gryffindor Table, Alice tried to identify more people she remembered. The Weasley Twins were the most obvious, next to a dark skinned boy who could only be Lee Jordan. Across from them sat a bushy haired girl who kept glancing anxiously towards the entrance.

Ah. Harry and Ron probably just crashed into the Whomping Willow.

It took an eternity until Alice's name was finally called. The group around her continued thinning out, until only Ginny, Alice, and a heavily trembling boy were left.

"Turpin, Alice!"

Before she knew it, a very large hat was blocking her view of the curious audience. She waited with bated breath for a whisper, for the voice she knew, no _hoped_ would speak in her head.

Nothing.

Was it broken? Sitting there, staring at the worn fabric of the most famous hat in wizarding history, Alice felt hollow disappointment. She had expected an evaluation of character, being confronted with her deepest worries and unknown mistakes, a chance to better herself-

" _-not so fast, young lady. It only took me a little moment to… adjust. Your head is quite difficult to read."_

Relief and excitement quickly turned into confusion. Was there something wrong with her brain?

" _Unpleasant… quite unpleasant…"_

There _was_ something wrong with her brain.

" _I wasn't talking about you, dearie. It's just the possibility of being almost burned in the near future that didn't sit well with me. Not that it matters now, for your sorting I mean. Hmm… what to do, what to do."_

Being burned… was he talking about the final battle? Had he learned every single thing she knew in… what? Thirty seconds?

" _How else am I to sort you? No Ravenclaw material here, I guess."_

Ouch, that stung. Especially said in that condescending voice of his… she wasn't stupid.

" _Could have fooled me. So much knowledge, so much potential… well, everyone his own, I guess. A Slytherin would kill for this kind of blackmail material… and Gryffindor… just no."_

His mutterings were met with growing annoyance from Alice's side. Couldn't the hat be a bit more straightforward?

" _I'm not all Gryffindor, am I?"_ She could practically _hear_ the smirk behind the words.

" _So, back to_ your _house. There's only one place to put you, really. We'll see how you fair in HUFFLEPUFF!"_

The table on the left immediately started clapping, and Alice disgruntledly joined her new house. She tried not to let it show too much, it wasn't the actual sorting that bothered her.

However, the few words the hat had said about her weren't exactly flattering.

Her mood continually worsened the longer the feast went on. She couldn't bear listening to the Headmaster, listening to the speech she had read so many times. The consistency was unnerving and reminded her of the many things that would remain identical as well. Didn't anyone see the creepiness in Lockhart's award winning smile? Had Ginny always seemed so pale, eager to just leave the feast for the safety of her dorm? Did Malfoy have to sit between the two primitive apes that could only be Crabbe and Goyle? Did Dumbledore's robes have to look like several children had picked the patterns and combined them- without comparing- beforehand?

The absence of Severus Snape was a crushing relief, until she remembered that this too was canon, as he was busy handing out detentions to two infamous second years.

She wanted to scream, shout out everything she knew, change everything, anything simply to escape the prison of knowing, the irrational feeling of responsibility. She didn't. She wasn't a Gryffindor, after all.

"You alright?" Alice jumped at the voice addressing her. For a split second, she contemplated not reacting, pretending to be an uninvolved witness, unseen and unhurt. The sincere kindness made her turn though, and she gave her fellow first-year a small smile.

"Quite well," Alice smiled a bit wider for the effect, hoping desperately that it fooled the other witch. "I'm Alice Turpin. I really hope we will get along well."

"We aren't Hufflepuffs for nothing, are we?" A small laugh, then: "I'm Naomi, Naomi Kimura." Her name fit her appearance perfectly, straight black hair and obvious Asian ancestry. They started a light conversation, small talk about family and friends. When others started joining in, Alice leaned back and observed her future classmates in silence, thankful for the welcome distraction.

* * *

As she listened to the steady breathing of three of her roommates and the faint crying of the fourth, Alice reflected on her evening. The Hufflepuff common room was beautiful, its homeliness engulfing the hyper students in a way that could only be magic. One moment in a plush like armchair soothed all her worries, relieving her in a way only her mother's heartfelt hugs could compare to.

Hufflepuff wasn't like the other houses, collecting those with natural talent to bring prestige to the name of the respective founder. Unlike her friends, Helga Hufflepuff had been completely selfless, her mind on giving her students a peaceful home, giving lost children the love they needed. Giving instead of receiving. The world needed more people like that exceptional witch.

That was why, as the sobbing of poor Elizabeth grew in insistence, Alice hesistantly made her way over to the distraught girl's bed. Slipping under the soft sheet, Alice engulfed her in a comforting hug, lightly humming a lullaby she remembered from her first childhood. The witch was muggleborn and had been thrown into a completely new world at barely eleven years old. It was no wonder she felt lost the way she did.

When the crying eventually died down, the two girls finally slipped away into the peaceful realm of dreams.

* * *

She would have loved to live carefree like her classmates, her biggest fear Professor Snape's disapproving gaze, his intimidating glare and hurtful words that had already reduced several of her classmates to a puddle of tears. She would have loved the surprise of McGonagall the cat turning into their teacher, a secret guarded by parents and siblings alike. Maybe she could have been one of the numerous Lockhart fangirls, sighing and giggling throughout his entire lessons and deliberately ignorant of his general ineptitude.

She cursed her knowledge every time she passed Myrtle's bathroom, every class she shared with the withdrawn Ginny Weasley and every glance she caught of the famous Lightning Bolt Scar, a red contrast to pale skin, seeming fresher and fresher every day.

She had to act, for her conscience destroyed her.

It started with a faint idea, a small curiosity in the light of an innocent appearing book. Hufflepuff and Gryffindor first years shared Transfiguration and it so happened that Ginny Weasley chose the seat next to Alice, her slightly opened bag placed between them. Brown leather in her peripheral vision caught her attention and she couldn't tear her gaze away _. That_ was a Horcrux? A worn out diary mixing beautifully with the hand-me-down schoolbooks of the youngest Weasley. It must hold true sentimental value she would never have expected from a psychopath like Tom Riddle, if it compared to priceless artifacts like Ravenclaw's diadem or Slytherin's locket.

On second thought, the value of the Founders' artifacts was mostly due to emotional attachments as well, so maybe the diary fit in better than it seemed.

To think, that Ginny carried a _person_ in her book bag. For he was a person, despite his self-induced predicament with having a non-living object as a body. He was self-aware, thinking, plotting. A trapped mind that was going to terrorize the school before being killed by the boy-who-lived at the end of the year if she did not interfere.

If… Tom Marvolo Riddle wasn't the only one plotting anymore.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in any way. Everything belongs to the amazing J. K. Rowling. I'm just having fun, really.**

 **Chapter 2**

It was a week before Halloween when she finally saw her chance.

Between practicing her wand work, writing essays and socializing with her housemates, keeping track of Ginny without anyone suspecting wasn't an easy feat. She had never expected to struggle with the material, though it made sense considering it was just as new for her as anyone else. The only thing that kept her in the top ten of her year was her motivation due to her knowledge considering the future, and her superior maturity.

She buried herself in books, encouraged her housemates to join her for study sessions and listened to her teachers with attentive interest. All the while searching for an opportunity to get her hands on the diary without anyone noticing. Preferably before Halloween.

Her anxiety grew with every passing week. While Ginny almost always kept the book in her bag, she never let it out of sight. Alice initially wondered why nobody else noticed the unnaturally possessive attitude Ginny showed towards a worn book bag, until she saw how the small redhead seemed to blend into the shadows, an invisible stalker of the oblivious Harry Potter.

No amount of planning could get her anywhere close to stealing the diary without anyone knowing of her involvement, which was crucial for the endeavor's success.

She was close to breaking into the Gryffindor dormitories in the middle of the night when an opportunity finally presented itself.

It was during the Gryffindor/Hufflepuff Herbology lesson, the last class of the week. The students were appropriately inattentive, which would have been no problem with most of the first year topics. As it was, carnivorous plants and giddy students did not mix well.

Alice stared incredulously at the offensive plants, monstrous bastardizations of simple Venus Flytraps. Or Venus Mousetraps, considering the swarming cage standing innocently on Professor Sprout's desk. She fought the sudden urge to step away from the snapping beasts, her face mirroring the suspicious looks of her classmates every time they glanced towards the front.

"Listen up students!" the Professor's imperative voice silenced any whispers immediately, though the uneasy glances between students grew in frequency. The sharp tone was a strong contrast to the look of adoration on Professor Sprout's face as she appraised the plants, which made Alice temporarily doubt the sanity of her Head of House. She watched as her teacher turned towards the cage and scooped up one of the many mice, the small animal struggling desperately in the firm grip.

"The next few months we will be working with various types of carnivorous plants, so I've brought along an especially fine specimen for a proper introduction," Sprout smiled broadly at her students as she continued: "the non-magical versions of these beauties are commonly known as Venus Flytraps, but I wouldn't use the name for the magical type." She took out her wand, levitating the struggling mouse around the classroom for everyone to see.

"While the Dionaea muscipula with magical properties does digest flies as well, it needs considerably more substantial nourishment to sustain its large form. In this regard, the plants are similar to animals. Despite being rooted into place they are able to catch small rodents at an impressive distance, using the vibration of the animals' movement to pinpoint its exact location."

With that, she levitated the now dizzy mouse onto the table where it sat motionlessly for a moment, visibly disorientated. After a few seconds, it tentatively started moving. It shouldn't have. As soon as the faint tripping of small feet crossed the table, several green, mouth-like trapping leaves descended on the helpless animal with incredible speed. Several students screamed at the sudden movement and more than one looked green at the sight of the victorious plant shutting the now mouse-containing trap.

Professor Sprout on the other hand looked positively thrilled.

"Aren't they just marvelous!" She patted the digesting plant affectionately, chuckling softly. "Speedy here was always the fastest of the lot. Hence the name," her expression suddenly turned serious and she directed a stern glare at the children in front of her.

"You will be very careful with my plants. They produce valuable saliva used in many potions and if they are in any way damaged," here she fixed her glare on a group of boisterous Gryffindor boys, "you will be in detention faster than you can say Dionaea muscipula!"

"That's not very fast," whispered one of them, Lewis Stuarts if Alice remembered correctly. A disapproving gaze quickly shut him up.

"Today, I want you to analyze the feeding process and identify the purpose of the different plant parts. I advise you to take this task seriously. You will be writing a minimum of six inches on the Dionaea, keep that in mind while taking your notes. You will need them."

With that, she split the class into pairs before instructing them to collect their plants and mice. Alice was paired up with one of her housemates, Robert Arkwright. They immediately got to work, Alice reluctantly collecting a mouse to feed the poor creature to the deceivingly motionless plant. With regret, she put the mouse down on the table, quickly retracting her fingers before the trapping leaves closed around the rodent.

"Be careful with your hands! The plants saliva is highly acidic and will burn you at contact." Unfortunately, Professor Sprout's warning came a few seconds too late. A commotion next to her made Alice look up, just in time to see a strong Aguamenti directed at a screaming Ginny Weasley. Her right hand was badly burned and her clothes dripping wet, tears springing to her eyes as she realized her miserable state.

"Oh dear," Professor Sprout quickly made her way over, inspecting the damage. "Don't fret child, Madame Pomfrey can fix you up in no time. Miss Johnson, please escort Miss Weasley to the Hospital Wing. The rest of you can get back to work _now_. And be careful for Merlin's sake!" The crowd of spectators quickly dispersed and Alice was just about to follow, when she heard her Professor's indignant exclamation.

"Just leave it here, Miss Weasley, Miss Peters can bring your bag along later!" Her heart leaped into her throat as Alice watched Ginny reluctantly putting the bag back down, any protest lost in her sobs.

The timing wasn't ideal. The number of suspects would be considerably reduced depending on how long it took Ginny to discover the diary missing, but it was as good an opportunity as she would probably get. Seeing as everybody was watching the two girls leave with Professor Sprout still fussing about Ginny's hand, she quickly decided to take the leather-bound diary and hid it in her own bag. Another careful glance confirmed that nobody had witnessed the theft.

The rest of the lesson seemed to last for an eternity and it was with carefully disguised relief that Alice finally left the Greenhouse, the diary burning a hole in her pocket.

* * *

Saturday morning, Alice had to literally force herself not to keep watching the entrance to the Great Hall. Breakfast was almost over and there was still no sign of Ginny. Did she know that the diary was stolen during class? Was she already taking apart dormitories, looking for the one who stole her precious Tom?

Just as she was about to leave for the common room, a speck of red caught her attention. Sure enough, there was Ginny, making her way over to the Gryffindor Table. Her appearance was clearly disheveled, there were dark circles under her eyes and she was looking around the hall frantically. Alice quickly turned towards Lizzy, engaging her friend in a light conversation. She would have to be careful for a few weeks. It wouldn't do to stand out in any way.

She kept her ears open the entire day, her suspicions confirmed when she overheard a group of unfamiliar Gryffindors talking.

"…whole room torn apart!"

"did they take anything?"

"that's the strangest thing! Everything is in disarray, but Stuarts said that absolutely nothing was missing!"

"For real? Why do you think…"

Alice had heard enough. If Ginny suspected her fellow first-years, she must know that the diary went missing during the Herbology lesson. It would have to stay in her book bag for a few more days.

Originally, Alice had wanted to hide the book somewhere in her dorms, but as she didn't know how strong Riddle's influence over Ginny already was, she didn't dare risk Ginny's attempt to get it back.

* * *

If Ginny Weasley ever did search her dormitory, she did a good job at covering her tracks. Every evening, Alice expected to find their room in disarray or at least sloppily hidden signs of someone entering, but there was nothing.

Ginny continued haunting the halls like a ghost, looking worse and worse with every passing day. Alice wanted to shake every last male Weasley, tell them to take care of their sister, berate them for not noticing her obvious distress. But no, Ron was preoccupied with Harry and Hermione, the twins with planning pranks and probably developing joke products and Percy… was he staring at Ginny?

Sat in the Great Hall the evening before Halloween, Alice gaped at Percy Weasley. Did she see right? Was he actually looking worried? She had almost given up hope that any of them would notice something off, but now…

"Okay, spill. Who is it?" Alice tore her admittedly fish-like gaze away from the Gryffindor table. Hannah Abbott was staring at her expectantly, her friend Susan looking a bit scandalized. Studying her four roommates who were watching as well, Alice noticed they were trying to hide their laughter… no, giggling? She was officially confused.

"Who is what?" Her puzzlement must have shown, because Hannah stared at her incredulously.

"What, did you think we wouldn't notice? Who's the lucky Gryffindor?"

"Gryffindor? Lucky?" Alice rarely felt stupid, but right now she seemed to be the only one absolutely unable to follow the conversation.

"She's talking about your crush!" Celine's impatient voice cut in, "What? She clearly wanted to play dumb." The last bit was directed at the other girls who were looking at her disapprovingly.

"What crush? I don't have a crush!"

"Oh please, you've been staring at the Gryffindor table for five days straight now. It's obvious!"

Alice heart nearly stopped. They had noticed. Had she really been so obvious about it? At least they hadn't seen her staring at Ginny, though this wasn't much better. Now they probably thought she had some girly infatuation with some brainless Gryffindor… she desperately ransacked her brain for something, anything to say, failing pitifully.

"It's not… Harry is it?" Hannah winked at her, smiling knowingly. "If it is, we've all been there."

Fabulous. Just fabulous. Alice opened her mouth to vehemently deny the accusation, though it thankfully didn't seem necessary. The charm of mentioning actual names did its wonders, enslaving the girls in dreamy gushing.

"The first time I saw him I was actually a bit disappointed," Celine admitted. "You know, he's all small and skinny, not at all like a hero. But one look into his eyes…" she trailed off, smiling forlornly.

"You're right, they are practically glowing! So beautiful…" another wistful sigh and the conversation quickly spiraled downwards. From Harry Potter's eyes they went on to the Weasley twins' mischievous auras, Blaise Zabini's mysteriousness, Roger Davies' smart looks, of course Gilderoy Lockhart's award winning smile and finally Cedric Diggory being perfect in every possible way. The last part was unfortunately overheard by the subject in question and resulted in the whole party blushing furiously and dissolving into hysterical giggles. Though Diggory seemed more amused than anything they decided to retreat to the safety of their dorms immediately, nearly running as they left the Great Hall.

"Okay… that was… absolutely… mortifying." Lizzy panted heavily as she let herself fall onto her bed, face still colored bright red. While Susan nodded in agreement, Hannah just snorted.

"Oh come on, it wasn't half bad," she directed a teasing smirk at Elizabeth, "what was it you said? 'Maybe he's an angel, no ordinary wizard could look so incredibly gorgeous!'" If anything, Lizzy's skin grew even redder and she buried her face deep into her pillow. She groaned something barely comprehensible that sounded suspiciously like "kill me now".

"You're one to talk," Celine's expression was practically predatory as she turned towards Hannah. "'Do you think he has to style his hair to make it look so perfect? I can't imagine it in any state of disarray!'" She made a ridiculous sounding swooning noise, effectively impersonating Hannah's earlier demeanor.

"If anything, his ego got a massive boost today."

"But isn't he way too perfect to have any kind of bad character traits?"

Silence. Six incredulous gazes focused on Olivia, who returned them with equal intensity, innocent honesty written all over her face. Several seconds passed. Still nothing.

Olivia broke first. It started with a small twitch at the corner of her mouth, a barely noticeable laugh line appearing in her otherwise serious expression. A second later, she dissolved into full-blown laughter, gasping desperately as she tried to speak simultaneously.

"You… didn't think… I was serious… did you?" The dam broke. The whole room was soon filled with giggling females, every kind of tension finally completely gone. Even Alice joined in, though she couldn't get rid of that nagging feeling in the back of her mind.

It was still _Cedric_ they were talking about.

* * *

The dormitory was finally empty. Alice stared at the familiar four-poster-beds, devoid of any reading witches keeping her from satisfying her curiosity. As it was only a few hours till the Halloween feast, her roommates were probably among the impatient students in front of the great hall, trying to get a look at the decorations.

Not Alice though. Clenching her jaw determinedly, she retrieved the leather-bound book, a quill and some ink. Though as she studied the seemingly inconspicuous object in front of her, she hesitated.

It was a pretty stupid thing to do, writing into the diary. She knew it could possess her, and every rational thought screamed to just drop it, bury it, destroy it. Did she really want to risk her life? Risk befriending Tom, Voldemort? She pictured herself, lying deep down in the Chamber of Secrets, life slowly fading away while an emotionless Tom Riddle watched dispassionately. The image alone sent cold shivers down her spine.

A sigh escaped her lips. Who was she kidding? She knew she couldn't withstand its mysterious lure; knew she would succumb to her desires sooner or later. Her eyes focused on the first page -when had she opened it? – her mind already forming sentences, endless possibilities.

She contemplated using a false identity. She remembered something about Ginny spilling out her soul, her deepest secrets, allowing Riddle to possess her. So lying should keep her safe, shouldn't it? But she didn't trust herself to keep up the façade in front of Riddle, knew he would figure it out sooner or later.

Taking a deep breath, she put down the quill.

" **My name is Alice Turpin."**

She watched with morbid fascination as the words slowly disappeared into the page. She had to suppress an excited squeal when finally, after several torturous moments, the formerly blank page slowly filled with beautiful, flourishing letters.

" **Hello Alice, my name is Tom Riddle. It is nice to meet you."**

A million questions burned on her lips and her left hand twitched, eager to write them down. She didn't dare though. Anything could let on that she knew more than she should. At a loss for something inconspicuous to write, she finally settled for something simple.

" **Likewise**."

Oh damn. Next they would talk about the weather.

" **May I ask how my diary found its way into your possession?"**

She definitely should have seen that one coming. Staring at the innocent question, she considered her options. Would it hurt to tell the truth? It wasn't as if he could tell anyone else, and if he could, she knew she would have other things to worry about.

" **I stole it."**

A small pause, then:

" **I'm flattered. I didn't know my humble abode appeared so valuable."**

Alice didn't answer. He was right of course. Nobody would have any reason to steal a tattered second-hand book from a member of an impoverished family. She tried to come up with a reasonable explanation that didn't involve powers similar to a seer, but came out short.

" **You already knew this is no ordinary diary."**

It was a statement, not a question. This conversation was quickly turning into a disaster. She had never even considered that silence gave away a lot more than words. Now, she could only hope to redirect the conversation, avoiding dangerous topics.

" **Ginny seemed to be very fond of you."**

" **Don't bother. I know she didn't tell anyone about me. So how did you know?"**

" **You're a very rude diary, has anyone ever told you that?"**

She couldn't help it. She had expected a charming personality, guarded herself against sweet words, fake kindness to win her trust. His… unfriendly demeanor unsettled her more than she wanted to admit.

" **My deepest apologies, I didn't know I had to mind my manners around thieves."**

Ouch. That stung. Alice had always considered herself a law-abiding citizen. She quickly shook her head. She knew for a fact that Tom had started stealing at a young age, so he wasn't one to talk in the first place.

" **Technically I didn't even steal it."**

" **How come?"**

" **Well, this diary does belong to Tom Marvolo Riddle, doesn't it? With that being you, I suppose it is virtually impossible to steal the diary."**

" **Ah, but as the owner I get to decide its keeper, don't I?"**

Alice gaped at the words. Trust Tom to use her own logic against her. Though she wasn't about to admit defeat to some soul-piece stuck between pages.

" **Aww… missing Ginny?"**

She knew it was immature and most likely ineffective, but her rational protests were quickly silenced by her desire to snap at him. She didn't have to wait long for the answer to appear, snorting incredulously at the first two words.

" **Of course. She is a very sweet girl. She would never harm a soul or even consider taking something that wasn't hers."**

Liar.

" **But we're getting off topic. I am still very interested to know what you know about me."**

It was still the same neat handwriting, but she could have sworn she felt that he was getting impatient. He seemed guarded, but not enough to avoid antagonizing her. What was his game?

" **I'm sure you are."**

It took a lot of effort not to use capital letters, tell him exactly where he could stuff his dark-lordish attitude, that a Horcrux stu **c** k in a dead object had no business demanding answers and berating her for illegal deeds.

She paused at her own thoughts. Where did that come from? She prided herself with being pretty even-tempered, never letting her anger get the better of her. Hell, she couldn't even remember the last time she had felt so riled up and about such petty things as well!

Her eyes widened in horror as it suddenly dawned on her. Was it the Horcrux? Shuddering, she remembered the locket, making its wearer moody and mentally unstable. If it was able to influence her emotions… she quickly shut the diary, practically throwing it into her trunk. Still in shock, she eyed the now closed suitcase wearily, as if the Horcrux would jump at her any moment. It didn't, of course. Still, she would have to be careful not to underestimate Dark Lords any time soon. Even their teenage versions.

* * *

The Halloween feast had already begun when Alice finally arrived at the Great Hall. After the disaster with the diary, she hadn't really felt like joining the masses. Instead, she had decided to relax in her favorite armchair in the common room, Sir Meow on her lap. She smiled. Peacefully stroking her cat had really done its wonders. She now felt calm enough to join her friends without risking arousing suspicion, hence her presence at the entrance to the Great Hall.

The moment she passed the threshold she paused in her steps. A high pitched scream escaped her lips as she felt something soft coiling itself around her, engulfing her completely. She struggled desperately, tearing at the fabric to _just get it off_ , though it was no use. She eyed the shreds in her hand wearily… was that toilet paper?

Incredulously, Alice looked down. Her entire body was neatly wrapped up, disguising her effectively as a living mummy. Speechless, she stood there motionlessly for a moment, her mind still trying to process what just happened.

When the first of the equally surprised students recovered from their stupor, scattered laughter echoed through the entire hall. Alice felt her cheeks burn and fought off the sudden urge to flee the Feast, overcome with a strong desire to hide in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom for the rest of her life. It took all her self-control to direct her toilet paper legs towards the Hufflepuff table. Thankfully the fabric expanded with her movement, or she would probably have landed flat on her face then and there.

Choosing a seat next to Lizzy, a mummy glare was directed at the hysterically laughing girl, which only managed to make it worse. Lizzy was clutching her sides desperately, a new bout of giggles escaping her every time she looked at Alice.

"Oh stop it already!" Alice was surprised at the lack of mirth in her own voice. She had to admit… it was a bit funny.

"Shouldn't have been late then!" Susan chided her from across the table, all the while grinning widely, "where were you, anyway?"

"Lost track of time," Alice answered nonchalantly, reaching for the pumpkin pastries. As she munched happily, she was glad her mouth wasn't wrapped up as well.

"So, who do you think was it, anyway?" Celine sounded thoughtful as she gazed around the hall, considering the students. "The Weasley Twins?"

"I don't think so," Naomi said, shaking her head. "They looked just as surprised as anyone else. They don't seem satisfied either… more like envious."

"Maybe it was one of the teachers!" Olivia piped up. "You know, to punish the latecomers." Alice chocked, spilling her pumpkin juice back into her goblet. Susan send her a disapproving glance, but thankfully didn't comment on her lack of manners.

"Well, it _is_ a possibility."

"Not Lockhart though. If it were him, you would have probably ended up in pink toilet paper and his signature on alternating pieces, not to mention this kind of magic is far above his level." Lizzy glared at a smirking Celine, though she thankfully didn't comment. It was a constant battle between hero-worship and disdain towards their DADA professor, which had been funny at the beginning but was already getting repetitive.

"Not Snape," Hannah added, skillfully ignoring the impending argument. "He doesn't have a humorous bone in his body. McGonagall is far too serious as well. Sprout would have turned you into one of her monstrous plants-" a collective wince went around the table at that, "-and it isn't really Flitwick's style. Sinistra wouldn't have bothered and I don't know the others well enough to judge… but if I had to guess, I would say it was Dumbledore."

"The Headmaster!" Alice gaped her, "how-"

"Well look, he's staring at you." Alice turned towards the front table. Indeed, the ancient wizard kept glancing at her, blue eyes twinkling, an amused smile on his face. That…

"Well, what better way to implement order and punctuality in his school?" Susan mused, the others nodding along. "It's better than giving out detentions and probably far more effective."

Alice agreed one-hundred percent. Plucking at her now itching outfit, she resolved to become the epitome of punctuality, especially when it came to official school events.

* * *

It was in a peculiar mood that Alice arrived at breakfast the next morning. The feeling of unease hadn't left her since it had first appeared yesterday evening, returning to her Common Room after the Halloween Feast. Nothing had happened, though maybe she was worried _because_ nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

It was only logical; how could Ginny open the Chamber of Secrets with Tom Riddle currently residing in the Hufflepuff dormitories? She had expected, should have expected an uneventful evening, but being confronted with the reality of it made her painfully aware of the powers she held.

It wasn't only that she had prevented the petrifications she thought as she subtly glanced at Harry Potter peacefully eating his breakfast between his friends, it was the fact that it had been Halloween. Something bad always happened on Halloween, whether it was creatures invading, supposedly mad criminals attacking or Death Eaters escaping Azkaban. No obvious bad luck only led to two possible explanations: Either there was some unfortunate incident she didn't know about yet, or she had broken a fundamental rule of Harry Potter's life. She didn't know which idea was more worrying.

Alice shook her head, cursing her indecisiveness. When everything stayed the same she longed for change to escape the apparent inevitability of the future, but now that she actually had changed something, she really missed her certitude. Honestly, it was a lose-lose situation.

She decided that a peaceful walk around the Lake after breakfast was her best bet if she wanted to do anything about her dilemma. Her setback with the diary still bothered her and she knew she couldn't continue acting the way she had, doodling around aimlessly. She silently slipped away from her friends to avoid getting well-meaning but unwanted company, making her way towards the grounds.

Icy cold wind greeted her the moment she stepped outside. It wasn't raining thankfully, but she still wished she had brought her scarf and fluffy pair of gloves along this morning. Most of the students had stayed inside -the weather wasn't exactly encouraging- but she could make out a lone figure sitting by the lake.

Curious, she let herself wander closer, checking whether or not it was anyone she recognized. Indeed, there sat Luna Lovegood, staring into the distance, a forlorn look in her large blue eyes. She made a strange picture, fingers wrapped around shoeless feet, her hair hopelessly disheveled.

For a moment, Alice considered ignoring her in favour of some much needed solitude. She couldn't though. "Here goes nothing," she muttered against the wind, sighing deeply.

With a plop, she let herself fall down next to the lonely girl, gaze directed across the water. Patiently, she waited for the Ravenclaw to make the first move, curious how she would react. Finally, long after her toes had begun hurting from the cold and her fingers felt like they'd already fallen off, the other first-year started speaking.

"You're Alice Turpin. The mummy girl." Alice groaned, painfully aware of the whispers that had followed her the entire morning. Though Luna was the first to be so blunt about it.

"Only on Halloween. I'm not actually from Egypt," she deadpanned, not really knowing what to say. Luna continued on with her eyes still trained in the distance, her mind not really present as she spoke.

"A shame. Daddy could have written an interesting article about you." There was a deep sadness in Luna's voice as she spoke of her father and Alice racked her brain for the reason. She was positive she knew it somewhere, but it continued eluding her. Sighing, she gave up, instead focusing on the conversation.

"He's the editor of the Quibbler, isn't he?" Blue eyes finally turned towards her. Alice waited patiently as Luna examined her for the first time, looking at her questioningly.

"The Turpin's aren't on the list of subscribers," she commented, "while some people know of the magazines, you're the first to make the connection to me. Just as you're the first to attempt to speak to me since my first week here. I don't have any friends, you see." While Luna's tendency to always say what was on her mind made Alice slightly uncomfortable, the blunt honesty was surprisingly refreshing. A sudden thought struck her, and she eyed Luna confusedly.

"Aren't you friends with Ginny Weasley?" She knew they lived close to each other, and remembered it being Ginny who introduced Luna in the books.

"We're acquaintances. However, she suffered from a really bad Wrackspurt infestation recently, so we haven't spoken in a while. It seems to be getting better now, though." Was she talking about the diary? If so, Luna was incredibly perceptive. Maybe she could help her.

Alice wanted, desperately needed someone whom she could talk to, share her worries. And Luna Lovegood always seemed to know more than she let on, but rarely voiced her observations.

"How did she get rid of these Wrackspurts?" Alice kept her eyes trained on Luna, taking in every movement of the girl. The Ravenclaw just shrugged and turned away, gaze returning towards the distance.

"I don't know. One day, they were simply gone," her voice became thoughtful. "Maybe they found a new target." Alice swallowed at that. Hopefully not.

"And how can you protect yourself against them? You know, not become a target." Luna nodded gravely, an empathetic smile on her face.

"It's good that you ask, you do seem susceptible to the little monsters," she said, her smile slowly turning encouraging. "But if you are aware of them they aren't nearly as dangerous anymore. You just have to notice which part of you is really you and which is the Wrackspurt. They only have the power you give them." Here she sighed as if remembering something. "Ginny fed them so much, I was sure she would vanish completely. I'm really glad she's becoming herself again."

Luna sprang up abruptly, startling Alice. "It was really nice talking to you, but I have to go feed the Thestrals," she said apologetically. "And be careful, you know? It would be a shame if you shared Ginny's fate, I truly enjoyed our conversation." With that, she skipped happily towards the Forbidden Forest, the melancholic air around her all but gone.

Alice stared after her, dumbfounded. Wrackspurts indeed.

* * *

Luna's words still ringing in her ears, Alice eyed the worn leather once again. Her inability to work with the Horcrux irked her, which was the only reason why she was anywhere near it not even two days after her failed attempt. Was it true what Luna had said? Would she be able to tell her own emotions from the external ones, knowing they weren't really a part of her? Somehow, she doubted it. The anger had felt so real; she was certain she wouldn't have been able to control herself had she continued writing.

Though she had been able to stop, wasn't that what counted? About to open the first page, familiar voices made her halt her movement. Hiding the diary away as fast she could, Alice watched as Celine and Olivia entered the dorm, chattering excitedly. She swallowed. She really needed to find a more private location. An abandoned classroom, perhaps?

"Oi Alice, there you are!" Celine had spotted her first and approached her with a hopeful expression. "Fancy playing some wizarding chess? I've been trying to convince Olivia for hours but she just won't budge." Alice sighed. She knew she could say goodbye to her peaceful afternoon then and there.

It was time to make use of her admittedly rusty chess skills.

* * *

 _She listened to the even breathing of her roommates as the clock struck midnight. Alice was hidden under her blanket; diary opened in front of her. A small Lumos illuminated the blank pages, dark ink slowly dropping downwards, disappearing as soon as it hit the parchment. She inhaled deeply, bracing herself._

" _ **Hello Tom."**_


End file.
